scary reaction when mixing my lye!

[rparrny]

Okay so I'm about to try the black and white bars again and I wanted to add sugar to the lye water. Last time I added it to the lye solution and it formed a crust that had to be strained out. So I was corrected and told to dissolve it in the water first. So I warmed up some water to allow the sugar to melt quickly, let it cool down until it was barely warm...I put my bowl in the sink as usual (Thank G-d!) and added my lye. It started bubbling like a rolling boil! After it toned down I stirred it and the boiling action returned. What did I do wrong this time? Is this solution okay to use?
Another reason why goggles and gloves are so important...

 

[Obsidian]

Yes, its still safe for use. Its probably a reaction of the lye and sugar along with slightly warm water. When I use sugar, I separate out enough water to dissolve the sugar in and add it at trace. I don't like to mix anything with lye except water.

 

[Jstar]

Sugar is a known heater, so you shouldn't have heated your water beforehand. Room temp water or cold water is fine to start with {I prefer cold when working with sugar, or sitting my lye container in an ice bath to control temp}

How much sugar did you use? 1 tsp ppo is a good base start/

 

[Wyredgirl]

Any one else feel free to correct me if I'm mistaken, but it sounds like when you added the lye you superheated the sugar.

Usually when I use a simple syrup I will make it in advance (in my case I master batch and freeze in ice cube trays)

Then I will work with it the same way I might work with milks( 1 tsp-tbsp at a time slowly) I find that discoloration lessens because you aren't cooking sugars.

That being said, if your lye water is probably safe to use as long as it doesn't have any particles in it whatsoever and the lye is fully dissolved.

 

[Trix]

The sugar overheated the mix even further.
I know some people who only use very cold water when preparing the lye water, because they do not want to risk such incidents...and that is without even adding sugar!
Your mix is still safe to use though

 

[rparrny]

Sugar is a known heater, so you shouldn't have heated your water beforehand. Room temp water or cold water is fine to start with {I prefer cold when working with sugar, or sitting my lye container in an ice bath to control temp}

How much sugar did you use? 1 tsp ppo is a good base start/

I'm making a 1.8 pound loaf and used 1 tsp...

 

[rparrny]

Thank you all for the replies, very scary reaction...
Now I know...

(Saying prayers of thanks that I still have my eyes!)

 

[Wyredgirl]

That's ok when I first started soaping I was HPing a batch of soap and thought it would be smart to add apple cider syrup to my emulsified oils, it volcanoed everywhere even onto my chin (safety equipment is my friend) and then seized. Excellent learning experience for sure.

Not only was it a PH reaction but a sugar overheating experience

 

[Jstar]

It happens, and glad you are ok and still have your peepers

Also to note, milks also are known heaters because of the sugar content..just heads up..

 

[not_ally]

I use a simple sugar solution (50/50 distilled water and sugar) that I keep pre-mixed in a squeezie in the fridge (so that I don't have to mix it each time) and add at emulsification.

 

[cmzaha]

I soap with a 50/50 lye solution made with either just distilled water or store bought aloe juice. Any sugars and citric acids are dissolved in the balance of liquid I need including any purees and milks. This I sb well into my oils before adding the lye solution. The only other additive I will add into lye when master batching is silk cocoons, they need the hot lye to dissolve completely. Citric acid added to lye can also volcano in my experience.

 

[IrishLass]

I do the same as Carolyn ^^^


IrishLass

 

[Dahila]

I take a bit maybe 50 grams off the water for lye, warm it and dissolve the sugar, add to water, then take it outside and pour slowly lye to water mixing all the time. Please do not do it if you have no open window or under the hood, on high speed.

 

[rparrny]

It happens, and glad you are ok and still have your peepers

Also to note, milks also are known heaters because of the sugar content..just heads up..

Is that why they freeze the milk and then sprinkle the lye over it? I thought it was to prevent bad odors and discoloration...something more to learn...

 

[rparrny]

I soap with a 50/50 lye solution made with either just distilled water or store bought aloe juice. Any sugars and citric acids are dissolved in the balance of liquid I need including any purees and milks. This I sb well into my oils before adding the lye solution. The only other additive I will add into lye when master batching is silk cocoons, they need the hot lye to dissolve completely. Citric acid added to lye can also volcano in my experience.

Good to know thank you...I would have thought using the excess "water" or what ever the substitute in the oils would screw up the lye and screw up the trace...
Yeah because of you enablers, I have some silk heading here from Babs...

 

[Jstar]

Is that why they freeze the milk and then sprinkle the lye over it? I thought it was to prevent bad odors and discoloration...something more to learn...

Right on all 3 counts. Adding the lye too much at once will cause it to heat too fast, which will scorch the milk and burn the sugar..and results in bad odors and discoloration...and you could possibly get a volcano to boot

ETA: Some add milks to their oils, and even gel their milk soaps..I haven't tried that myself..I do 100% frozen coconut milk and stir in my lye a bit at a time, and then mix for a tad longer than I would for say water, just to make sure all the lye is dissolved..

You will discover which way you prefer..isn't learning fun?

 

[Susie]

I add simple syrup to my oils before the lye, right along with the EO. Makes life easy.